Fly swatter



March 13, 1951 w. w. SHARPE 2,545,215

FLY SWATTER Filed Aug. 13, 1947 oooooo Q ooooooooo' 00000000 00000000 00000000 0000000 INVENTOR. MdMA/MS/VAAFAE ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 13, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLY SWATTER William W.. Sharpe, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 13, 1947, Serial No. 768,297

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a fly swatter, and more I particularly to a fly swatter construction for killing flies and other insects while in flight.

As contrasted with the conventional fly swatter construction, the present invention incorporates a pair of flat perforated blades which are hingedly joined at one .of their edges, and by means of a resilient handle normally maintainvention to provide a fly swatter for catching and,

killing a fly while in flight.

It is the further object of this invention to provide by a simplified and inexpensive structure, a fly swatter incorporating a pair of flat perforated blades angularly joined together at one s of their edges, together with a formed resilient wire handle secured to each of said blades, and which is adapted to forcefully bring said blades together upon manual compression thereof.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the appended drawing in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the fly swatter as it appears when the blades are closed.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the fly swatter in its normal inoperative position with its blades open.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the same with the handle compressed and the blades correspondingly closed; and.

Figure 4 is a plan view of one of the two similar blades prior to assembly.

It will be understood that the above drawing illustrates merely a preferable embodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the claims hereat E3 are angularly joined to each other at one of their edges as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Blades i' and 12 are identical in shape to sim plify the cost of manufacture, one of said blades being shown inFigure 4 for illustration. Blades II and H are substantially rectangular in shape, and are initially formed with projecting tabs [4, i5 and I6, with the latter having a slot I! therein.

Tabs i4 form an integral part of blades l I and I2 and are initially coplanar with blades H and I 2, however, upon 01 prior to assembly are formed outwardly substantially in a semi-circle for respective retaining engagement within the corresponding slot l! of the opposing blade.

Blades I I' and !2 are so formed and constructed that when one thereof is inverted over the other, the tab it of one is in registry with the slot I! of the other, to provide a simplified hinge construction as shown in Figure 1.

Central tabs !5 are formed outwardly at an angle to the outer surfaces of blades II and I2 and are adapted to cooperatively engage each other limiting the outward angular positionsof blades I i and i2 as in Figure 2.

Tabs i5 serve another important purpose in preventing tabs M as arcuately formed from disconnecting themselves from the corresponding slotted tabs !6, even though the same are loosely joined. In fact the connection is so loose in view of the semi-circular shape of the formed tabs l4, that but for tabs l5 blades H and 12 could be easily separated.

As constructed however, said blades are permanently and hingedly joined to each other so long as tabs it remain unchanged in their angular position relative to said blades.

Blades El and i2 have three slits l8 therein, and the material of the blade bounded by said slits i rolled or formed outwardly in a semi circle to form the projecting handle receiving and retaining elements l9.

The swatter handle, Figures 1, 2 and 3, consists of the spring wire operating elements 20 formed from a single piece of wire into substantially U-shape, being slightly diverging in the direction of its free ends. As viewed in Figure 2, the outer ends 2| and 22 of handle elements 20 are bent transversely thereto at substantially right angles and extend respectively in opposite directions and parallel to each other.

Outer end 2! as viewed in Figures 2 and 3 cooperatively projects up into handle retaining element 19 forming a part of blade I2, while the other end portion 22 cooperatively projects downwardly within the similar handle retaining element l9 forming a part of the other blade I l.

As shown in Figure 4 the retaining element is is positioned off-center so that when blade elements H and I2 are assembled, said retaining elements is are off-set with respect to each other being upon opposite sides of the longitudinal center line of said blade elements.

Consequently while the handle securing mem- Having described my invention, Should now be had to the claims which .follow 3 bers 2i and 22 project in opposite directions for engagement within the securing elements l9, it is seen that when assembled, said handle elements 20 are only slightly ofi-set from each other as viewed in Fig. 1.

Prior to assembly the handle elements 20 are substantially coplanar. On assembly one of the end elements, 22 for instance, is loosely inserted down through the retaining member 19 of blade II. The other end element 21 as W311 as its supporting handle portion 20 must be bent downwardly against the resiliency of its spring wire construction. Said end element is then inserted 1 Y from the lower side into the hollow retaining element [9 on the blade l2 and projected upwardly thereinto.

Due to the resiliency of the latter wire handle element and its tendency to remain coplanar with the other handle element, and due to the opposing arrangements of the members 2| and ".22 it is seen thatonce assembled with blades H and I2 said handle element will stay assembled for normal usage.

When inoperative, handle 20 takes the diverging shape shown in Figure 2 with blades I] and I2 angularly spaced apart. Figure 3 shows the j handle elements 20 compressively converged together as by the hand of the user to .bring the blades [-5 and [2 into parallel cooperative relation for trapping and killing a fly or other insect.

Elements 20 are compressed against the resiliency of the wire of which they are constructed, and will. immediately open to the position of ,rFigure 2 upon manual release of said handle 9 elements.

In operation thehandle is held inwardly of its .free ends and blades I l and I2 may be mechanically brought together with a quick snapping .action through manual compression of said handle. is dependent .upon the compressive action of the operators hand upon handle elements 29.

The speed of closing blades ll and I2 engagement of the outer ends of the respective 'tabs 15 on the common inner edges of blades H and 12.

'Theoppositely projecting elements Zland 22 are retained within members 19, and at the same time cooperatively bear against the outer walls ofblades H and I2 bridging the slots formed therein by the slit portions Hi. In fact it api pears that elements 2| .and 22 bear against the -outer walls of blades H and E2 and are retained against said walls .by the curved elements 19.

By killing the fly while in-flight, or for that matter any other insect, stains and smudges upon the woodwork, Walls, draperies, furniture and other surfaces are eliminated.

reference for determining. the scope thereof.

" Iclaim:

1. A .flyswatter comprised of a pair of fiat icaljsoickets formed from and arranged upon "t the outer surface of said blades, a U-shaped fspring wire handle, and oppositely arranged securing legs projecting normally from the ends of said handle in substantial parallel relation, and respectively nested and pivotally positioned within said sockets, whereupon manual compressive movement of the portions of said handle toward each other said blades are forcefully brought together, said legs extending in opposite directions and in a plane normal to the direction of flexing movements of said handle whereby said legs are retained against dislodgement from said sockets.

2. A fi-y swatter comprised of a pair of flat blades, an arcuately formed tab and a tab receiving slotted portion arranged in spaced relation at one of the edges of each blade, whereby said blades may be hingedly joined to each other with the formed tab of one blade extending through the slotted portion of the other blade,

hollow cylindrical sockets formed from and arranged upon the outer surface of said blades, a U-shaped spring wire handle, and oppositely arranged securing legs projecting normally from the ends of said handle in substantial parallel relation respectively nested and pivotally positioned within said sockets, whereupon manual compressive movement of portions of said handle towards each other said blades are Iorcefiu'lly brought together, said legs extending in opposite directions and in a plane normal to the direction of flexing movements of said handle whereby said legs are retained against disl'odgement from said sockets.

3. A fly swatter comprised of a pair of flat blades, .an arcuately formed tab and a tab receiving slotted portion arranged in spaced relation at one of the edges of each blade, whereby said blades may be hingedly joined to each other with the formed tab of one blade extending through the slotted portion of the other blade, angularly arranged tabs extending from the hinged edges of said blades cooperatively engagable to limitthe outward angular positioning of said blades, hollow cylindrical sockets formed from and arranged upon the outer surface .of said blades, a U-shaped spring wire handle, and oppositely arranged securing legs projecting .nor-

' many from the ends of said handle in substantial parallel relation respectively nested and pivotally positioned within said sockets, whereupon manual compressive movement of said handle said blades are forcefully brought together, said legs extending in opposite directions and in a plane normal to the direction of flexing movements or said handle whereby said legs are retained against dislodgement from said sockets.

WILLIAM w. sHARPn,

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in..the

file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date 502,056 '-Ieate 'J uly 25, 1893 550,556 "Dodge "-1 Nov. 26, 1895 666,633 Farmer Jan. 22, 1901 1,179,114 'Laubenstein Apr. 11, 1916 1,223,238 Battige Apr. 17, 1917 1,557,454 Hammer Oct. 13, 1925 1,593,930 Carrier July 27, 1926 1,635,810 Cleveland July 12,1927 2,191,126 "G'ustke Feb. 20, 1-940 2,377,717 Reilly June 5, 1945 2,434,364 Linding Jan. 13, 1948 

